Sun: We would consider a Mac OS X office suite if Microsoft left
Sun: We would consider a Mac OS X office suite if Microsoft left
A Sun Microsystems representative has told MacFixIt that if Microsoft were to leave the Macintosh office productivity suite space - by ceasing development after Office 11 - the company would be more inclined to deliver a solid, production-level Mac OS X-native version of its StarOffice suite.
StarOffice is based on the OpenOffice.org open-source project, which is currently working toward a native Mac OS X port. The current timeline pits a 1.0 release of OpenOffice for Mac OS X, with full Aqua interface functionality, some time in the second quarter of 2004.
Of course with Sun's backing, the project (which now is based on a 10-person development/debugging/testing team) could accelerate rapidly.
A Sun representative told MacFixIt:
Feedback on this issue? Drop us a line at late-breakers@macfixit.com."We do not plan a StarOffice version for the Mac right now. I believe this decision would change if Microsoft stopped shipping Office for Mac. For now the OpenOffice.org Mac OS X port helps broaden the distribution of OO.o compatible APIs and file formats to the Mac platform and provides interested Mac user a complete and usable low cost and open alternative."
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